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Like Roberts, the Toledo tight end who Detroit took in the fourth round last April, Smith (6'4/265) is huge. "He’s a solid short range target whose forte is blocking," Pauline wrote of Smith. Smith recorded 31 catches for 356 yards and five touchdowns last season.

"I presently grade him as a late fifth/early sixth round choice but forty times will be critical for the junior in the lead up to the draft," Pauline wrote. Gardner (6'4/212) was a Third-team All-MAC selection last year, finishing the season with 45 catches for 750 yards and six touchdowns. Rotoworld's Thor Nystrom ranks him as the No. 65 fantasy receiver heading into the 2017 season.

Buchanan (6’5/316) made 32 starts as the RedHawks’ right tackle, earning second-team All-MAC honors as a senior. A poor athlete with short arms (32 5/8"), Buchanan’s on-field play was inconsistent throughout college. He’ll have to show position versatility to earn a swing-reserve role in the pros.

Miami (OH) T Collin Buchanan was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.

"A player who looks the part, Buchanan needs to find consistency, but the NFL tools are appealing," writes CBS Sports draft analyst Dane Brugler. Brugler would have liked to see him get a shot in Indianapolis later this month. The 6-foot-5, 325-pounder started 12 games this past season and earned second-team All-MAC recognition for his work along the Redhawks' offensive line.

Bester isn't the largest back in the class (far from it), measuring out at a diminutive 5-foot-8, 162 pounds. He does not receive a star rating from ESPN, while Scout.com sticks him with just two sparkles. Rivals is the highest on the Belleville, Illinois, native, assigning him a three-star grade. He was a very productive running back at Althoff High and will try to carry that work over to the Redhawks.

Miami (OH) redshirt sophomore QB Gus Ragland completed 22-of-30 passes for 263 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in Monday's 17-16 loss to Mississippi State in the St. Petersburg Bowl.

Ragland and friends started off their upset bid well enough, taking a 9-0 lead midway through the second quarter after the 6-foot-1, 211-pound redshirt sophomore tossed a six-yard touchdown pass to James Gardner. Of crucial note, K Nick Dowd's extra-point was blocked after that score. That would come back to haunt the Redhawks once Mississippi State clawed their way to a 17-16 lead in the fourth quarter. Dowd would have a chance to redeem himself with a game-winning field goal at the gun, but that, too, was blocked. With this tough loss in the books, Ragland finishes out the 2016 season having thrown for 1,537 yards with a sparkling 17/1 TD/INT ratio. All of that action came in the final seven games of the season.

Meyers is eligible to play immediately in 2016, his last collegiate season. Meyers played in 27 games for the Spartans but served a six-game suspension last year for pleading guilty to operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Meyers earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2014. "He was looking for a new opportunity on the football field in his final season, and by earning his degree, he'll have that opportunity this year as a graduate transfer," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said Thursday in a released statement.

Six players submitted their name for the uneventful proceedings. Purdue DL Ra’Zahn Howard, Ole Miss CB Tee Shepard, Virginia Tech LS Eddie D’Antuono, Sam Houston State RB Jalen Overstreet, University of Calgary WR Rashaun Simonise and Concordia DE Cameron Walton are all now street free agents. Of the six, Howard, Shepard and Simonise hold the most intrigue. Howard is a space-occupying nose guard, Shepard is a much-traveled, star-crossed, former five-star recruit and Simonise is a 6-foot-5 receiver with a 40-yard dash between 4.42 and 4.52 seconds.

Diamond announced his decision via Twitter near the end of May, writing, "Decided to Attend Miami Of Ohio university! Excited and blessed for this opportunity. [Can't] wait to get down there with the Squad! #RiseUp." The 6-foot-4, 304-pounder has one year of eligibility remaining and will be able to play immediately. He was graded as a four-star recruit out of high school in 2012, but the injury bug hit hard and helped limit him to just seven games played at Auburn.

2017 RB Jaylon Bester was named running back MVP at the Rivals Camp Series regional in Kansas City.

Per Rivals recruiting analyst Rob Cassidy, "[Bester] grabbed attention during drills and carried that into one-on-one work. He lacks size but runs incredibly well. His quickness creates matchup problems in the flats." The 5-foot-8, 159-pounder's weight, Cassidy wrote, "makes him an incomplete an incomplete prospect." Bester has received limited recruiting love to this point, but Florida A&M, Jackson State, Miami of Ohio and Southeast Missouri State have come calling since the conclusion of the RCS regional.

Former Mississippi graduate CB Tee Shepard has decided to return to the gridiron and transfer to Miami (OH).

Shepard has had one of the most circuitous college careers of any player in recent memory. A five-star recruit in Notre Dame’s 2012 recruiting class, Shepard transferred to Holmes Community College in 2013, signed with Mississippi in February 2014 and missed the 2014 season after tearing a toe tendon during fall camp that required surgery. He was expected to break out last fall but announced his retirement from the sport in October. Now, the RedHawks will try to unlock Shepard's potential. "Chuck Martin is the only coach in the country I can try to play my last year with," Shepard said. "He recruited me out of high school when he was at Notre Dame at the time. It’s been over four years coming"

Miami (OH) senior DE Bryson Albright is "in the midst of a disappointing season after being labeled a potential late rounder," reports TFY Draft Insider's Tony Pauline.

After posting six sacks and eight TFL in 2014, Albright has turned in only 15 tackles and one sack through six games. He had just one tackle in the Redhawks' 31-point loss to Ohio this past weekend. Albright's brother, Alex, played for the Dallas Cowboys.

The star-crossed Shepard, who is hearing impaired, was either never healthy enough or in the correct situation to cultivate his five-star talent. "The injuries and challenges I have overcome the last few years have taken away my love for playing the game of football," said Shepard. "I want to thank Rebel Nation for the support they have shown me in my time here. I want to especially thank Coach Freeze for showing me what unconditional love is like." This is a blow to the Rebels, who had used Shepard in every game. "While we had hoped Tee would continue playing, he has chosen to conclude his career and focus on finishing his degree here at Ole Miss," Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze said. "We respect his decision and wish him the very best. He will always be a part of our family, and we hope he continues to use his platform to impact others."

Meyers was arrested Sept. 6 and charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated. He will be sentenced for the misdemeanor charge Oct. 21. MSU head coach Mark Dantonio suspended him indefinitely after the arrest. Meyers was a part-time contributor each of the past two years.

Mississippi junior CB Tee Shepard has overcome a hearing impairment and is on the verge of winning a starting CB job.

"I think about living in that world, and I don’t know that I would handle it as well as he does," Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said. "But 90 percent of the time, he’s got a tremendous, beautiful smile on his face, and he’s excited about the opportunity he has." Rebels co-defensive coordinator Jason Jones made some adjustmets when JUCO transfer arrived last summer. "We have different hand signals that we use to communicate with each other," he said. "And in the meeting room, I make sure I’m always facing him as we’re installing and putting things up on our defensive board." Shepard pushed Senquez Golson and Mike Hilton for a starting spot before his season ended with a toe injury last summer. The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder is a former five-star recruit. "There’s no question talentwise, he’s talented enough to really help our football team," Freeze said.